Egg-opener.



Patented Mar. 25, I902.

H. s. Don's. EGG OPENER.

(Application filed Mhy' 16, 1901.)

(No Model.)

I [/VVE/V TOR 300252 rrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM S. DOTTS, OF THOBURN, WVEST VIRGINIA, AS SIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. C. NAY, OF MONONGAH, VEST VIRGINIA.

EGG-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart Of Letters Patent NO. 696,016, dated March 25, 1902.

Application filed May 16, 1901. Serial No. 60,532. (No model.

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM S. DOTTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Thoburn, in the county of Marion, State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg-Openers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to egg-openers, and particularly to a construction embodying jaws movable in their relation to each other and toward an egg in order to fracture the shell thereof upon a peripheral line extending in a single horizontal plane.

The invention has for its object to provide a construction embodying a series of jaws relatively movable toward each other, whereby they shall approach and contact with the shell of an egg simultaneously at dilferent points in a single horizontal plane, whereby a complete and continuous line of fracture will be produced.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and convenient construction of handle for grasping and operating the movable jaw.

A furtherobject is to provide an improved construction of tooth for these jaws, which is tapered or wedge-shaped longitudinally in two different directions, thereby producing a wedging action between the portions of the shell at the point where the tooth cuts the same. 7

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the egg-opener. Figs. 2, 3, and A are similar views of the cutter-blades separated. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of one handle, and Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 7 7 of Fig. l to illustrate the particular shape of tooth employed.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawlugs.

As illustrating a form of the invention I have shown in Fig. 1 three jaws, (lettered, re-

spectively, A, 13, and O.) The jaw A, as shown in Fig. 3, is provided at opposite ends with pivoting-sockets A, adapted to receive the pintle or projection D from the handle D. The jaw B is provided at one end with the elongated slot 13, through which the pintle D of the handle passes, and at its opposite end with a slot B disposed at an angle to the inner periphery of the jaw. Upon the outer face of this jaw a slotB is provided and adapted to receivea pin D froin thehandle D, which handle is provided with any desired form of finger-piecefor instance, as shown at D The jaw C is similarin construction to the jawB and provided at its upper end with a slot 0. A slot C at its lower end and a slot 0 upon the outer periphery are provided for the same object and purposes as thus described in connection with the jaw B. The

adjacent ends of the jaws B and C are overlapped, so as to bring the slots B and G into alinement, and a pin or rivet B is passed through these slots, so as to permit a free movement of the jaws upon each other. It will also be seen that the handles D are so curved and proportioned that the pintle D will form a point of support in drawing the same together, while the pins D acting below the centers of the jaws B and C, will force the meeting ends of these jaws together, and also the outer ends of these jaws will travel inward upon the pintles D, which movement is permitted by the slotsB and C.

Any desired or convenient form of tooth or cutting edge may be used upon these jaws; but as illustrating a preferred construction I have shown a series of teeth E, the central tooth of each jaw being of greater length than the adjacent teeth, so as to first engage and cut the shell of an egg at a single point,

and as three of these teeth engage the shell simultaneously it will be seen that the line of separation is started at three diiferent points. The adjacent teeth to the tooth E are graduated, so that the fracture caused by the first tooth is entered by the adjacent teeth in succession, thereby efiecting a very easy and successful cutting of the shell without crushing the egg or fracturing the shell to any extent. This tooth E, as shown by Fig. 7, tapers outwardly from a central point other. The tapered thickness wedges the sections of shell apart as the tooth enters the same, thus extending the fracture or crack and assisting materially in the entrance of the remaining teeth through the shell.

The operation of the invention will be clearly seen from the foregoing description, and when an egg or other object to be separated is placed within the circumference of the jaws and the handles drawn together the teeth are brought inwardly toward each other with a relatively'equal movement, so as to produce a simultaneous engagement at a series of points in a single horizontal plane and prevent tilting or tipping action of the cutter upon the object. It will be readily seen that the jaws may be again separated by forcing the handles apart, as usual in the use of shears.

While I have illustrated in this application the use of three jaws, the invention is not necessarily confined to any particular number, as changes may be made in the details of construction and configuration without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In an egg-opener, a series of jaws having each end slidably connected to an adja cent jaw and forming a continuous annular frame adapted to be varied in diameter; substantially as specified.

2. In an egg-opener, a series of jaws having each end slidably connected to an adjacent jaw and forming a continuous annular frame, and opposite handles to engage said jaws and produce a relative movement of the same toward and from each other; substantially as specified.

3. In an egg-opener, a series of jaws slidably connected by slotted connection with each other, and pivotally-mounted handles adapted to engage and move said jaws toward and from each other; substantially as specified.

4. In an egg-opener, acutting-jaw provided with pivoting-sockets at opposite ends, handles mounted at one end in said sockets, movable jaws provided at opposite ends with slots, those at the adjacent ends of said jaws being connected to permit relative movement of the jaws, and pins carried by said handles and adapted to bear upon the outer face of said movable jaws; substantially as specified.

5. An egg opener comprising relatively movable jaws each of which is provided with a series of interiorly-projecting teeth, the center tooth of each series being of greater length than the remaining ones; substantially as specified.

6. An egg opener comprising relatively movable jaws each of which is provided with a series of inwardly-proj ectin g teeth, the center tooth of each series being of greater length than the remaining ones, and operating-handles pivotally secured to one of said jaws and provided with operating-pins adapted to engage the remaining jaws in the movement of the handles; substantially as specified.

7. An egg-opener comprising a jaw having pivoting-sockets therein, relatively movable jaws slotted at opposite ends at an angle to their inner periphery, aconnecting-pin passing through the slots at the overlapping meeting ends of said slotted jaws, a slotted extension upon the periphery of said slotted jaws, a handle pivoted in said sockets and provided with pins extending into the slots of said extension; substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HIRAM S. DO'ITS.

Witnesses:

ALFRED T. GAGE, GEORGE M. BOND. 

